Remember when Donald Trump said he’d only pick the best and brightest? I certainly do, because he said that lie many times during the campaign. He bragged about surrounding himself with only the top experts in their respective fields. Then he quickly shot down any chance of fulfilling that promise when he began announcing his choices to fill his cabinet.

One thing is certain – Trump did not choose the best. In fact, most of Trump’s selections were vocal opponents of the very departments they were picked to lead. Rick Perry has previously admitted his disdain for the Department of Energy. Betsy DeVos is more interested in taking taxpayer money for voucher programs than actually improving the Education Department. Trump’s first choice for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, had to withdraw his nomination when it was determined he cared more about further enriching himself than ensuring labor rules were enforced (he also allegedly beat his wife).

It’s beyond evident that Trump actually surrounds himself with the worst of the worst in most aspects of his entire criminal life, but one cabinet pick stands out among all the others as simply terrible. When Scott Pruitt was selected to run the Environmental Protection Agency most people immediately pointed out his vocal rejection of scientific consensus that human activity has contributed to climate change. He even sued the EPA fourteen times as Oklahoma’s Attorney General.

Even if we ignore Pruitt’s public display of hate for the department he runs, there are many examples showing how shady and corrupt he is. Breaking with tradition, Pruitt is protected around the clock by as many as 30 agents. He recently tried to explain his need to fly first-class constantly by claiming he felt unsafe and afraid those in coach would yell at him. He also called for a new $25,000 taxpayer funded sound-proof booth. Last week it was announced he instructed EPA staffers not to create written records for agency decisions. What exactly is Scott Pruitt attempting to hide?

Palmer Report is consistently early and accurate when it comes to important political storylines – just ask our longtime readers. You can follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for our mailing list.